Crucible holder



R. MEYROWITZ CRUCIBLE HOLDER Nov. 7, 1950 Filed June 7. 1949 INVENTOR Foss/P 7' ME weow/rz ATTOR EY Patented Nov. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTVOVFFICE" CRUCIBLE HOLDER Robert Meyrowitz, Washington, D. Application June 7, 1949, Serial No; @2691 1 Claim. (01. 248- 1254) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

. 1 V The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royaltythereon in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (Ch. 460, 45 Stat. L. 467).

This invention relates to rotary crucible supports and more particularly to supports for crucibles or the like adapted to rotate on a tilted axis. More broadly, the apparatus of this invention is adapted to carry articles to be heated in a flame or the like wherein the carrier and the articles to be heated may be rotated.

Heretofore, in the heating of crucibles to high temperatures, wherein it is desired to bring the contents, which may be a mixture of high melting oxides and flux, to the molten state, it has been customary to hold the crucible manually with a pair of tongs and from time to time to remove the crucible from the flame, take a fresh grip thereon, and return the same to the flame. In order that the molten contents be thoroughly intermixed, it was necessary that the crucible be tilted so as to wash its inner surface with flux, at the same time continuously rotating the crucible. It will be seen that this represents a tedious and complicated procedure. Due to the necessary frequent changes in tong position many crucibles were dropped and broken.

This invention accordinglyhas for an object the provision of a suitable means for supporting a crucible over a flame while permitting continuous rotation of the crucible about an inclined or tilted axis. Another object is the provision in a crucible support of adjustable means for varying the angle of tilt or inclination at which the crucible is supported. Other related objects will appear hereinafter as the ensuing description proceeds.

These objects are accomplished in accordance with this invention which provides a crucible support adapted to rotate on a tilted axis, such a support comprising a base, a rotary shaft carrying at one end a crucible engaging member, and adjustable means connecting said shaft and said base for causing the shaft to assume a predetermined tilt angle.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof in order that-the ensuing description may be clearly understood.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the crucible support, and

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of the inclined shaft and crucible basket.

amended April 30, 1928;-'370 0. G.757)-' For a'practical mbodiment of the invention and referring to Figure 1, there is shown a base stand having a base plate I and a vertical memher 2 aifixed thereon." A clamp 3 is attached at any convenient height to the vertical member 2 and in turn supports a horizontal member 4 at any convenient height. To the base structure thus described, afiixed to the horizontal member i is a sleeve 5 mounted so that its axis is generally horizontal. A shaft 6 is carried in and supported by the sleeve 5 and is adapted for both axial and rotary movement therein. A set screw I is mounted radially in the sleeve 5 so that the shaft "9. A pair of set screws I2 and I3 are radially threaded into retaining collars I0 and I I in order that the shaft 9 may be supported at any predetermined point along its axis and thereafter restrained against axial movement by the clamping action of the collars I0 and II and cooperating set screws I2 and I3, while at the same time the shaft 9 is free to rotate about its axis.

Suitable means are provided for causing the shaft 9 to rotate about its axis and, as shown in Figure 1, such means may take the form of a bell crank I4.

At the upper end'of the shaft 9, there is fastened a flame-proof crucible basket I5 which may be made of a chrome-nickel alloy impervious to high temperatures. As shown in an enlarged scale in Figure 2, the crucible basket I5 comprises a toroidal ring member I6 mounted coaxially with the shaft 9 and the crucible I'I engaging the latter about its periphery near the lip thereof. The toroidal member I6 is held by a series of arcuate members I8 spaced equi-distant about the periphery of the member I6 and joined together by welding or the like at the lower portion thereof near the upper end I9 of the shaft 9. The radius of the are upon which the members I8 are formed is selected to correspond to the outline of the crucible I! such that continuous longitudinal support is provided by the members I8 for the crucible I'I.

It will be seen that the foregoing combination provides a flexible and simple means for supporting a crucible or other article over an open flame while rotating it about its longitudinal axis. In operation, the set screw I in the sleeve t 3 is loosened and the shaft 6 rotated until the crucible is at a desired tilt angle. Normally this is selected so that the contents of the crucible approach the lip thereof and the entire area of the crucible is thus bathed with molten flux or the like during its rotation. The set screw 1 is then tightened and the set screws I2 and I3 loosened to permit axial adjustment of the shaft 9. Normally the shaft 9 is moved upwardly along its axis until the crucible support 15 places the cru-. cible I! at the correct height for maximum efiiciency over the flame. Thereupon, the set screws l2 and [3 are tightened to fasten the collars l0 and I l to the shaft 9 while permitting free rotary movement of the shaft 9. Upon heating of the crucible H the bell crank I4 is turned for example by hand to provide continuous rotation of the crucible I! about its axis. Thus all portions of the crucible are evenly heated andas soon as the contents thereof are molten, the molten material continuously is intermixed and washes substantially the full interior surface of the 'cruc'ible It will be appreciated that many apparently differing embodiments will'occur' to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

A support for a crucible adapted to rotate on a tilted axis which comprises a base stand having a horizontally disposed sleeve, a horizontal shaft mounted in said sleeve for rotary and axial move-- ment therein, a set screw radially mounted in said sleeve for restraining said horizontal shaft in a predetermined position, a second sleeve mounted at one end of said horizontal shaft, the axis of said second sleeve being normal to the axis of said horizontal shaft, a rotary shaft journalled in said second sleeve, and a crucible-carrying basket axially mounted on the upper end of said second shaft.

ROBERT MEYROWITZ.

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